Heavy snowstorm suspends Accenture Match Play Championship after less than four hours

So much for professional golf's mantra of follow the sun. Much more of this and perhaps Rory McIlroy's next move will be from Nike to a leading manufacturer of ski poles.

It is not unusual to see a golf course covered in a thick carpet of snow but they are usually in northern climes and closed for the winter, or high up in the mountains and doubling up as ski resorts. It happens once every 25 years when all the leading golfers are in town.

So how disappointing that this freakish occurrence should happen on the opening day of the Accenture Match Play Championship at white-as-a-Dove Mountain. We came expecting the unexpected, given the volatile format, but not this. One minute we were marvelling at the vicissitudes of this form of the game, as Ian Poulter, for the first time in his professional career, claimed a hole despite losing a ball off the tee. The next, the Englishman was chipping to a green that was turning white before his very eyes.

Disruption: Snow ended play at the Accenture Match Play Championship

All too brief: Sergio Garcia teeing off on the second

We've seen snow storms in the desert
before. There was one in Abu Dhabi a few years ago and one here in 2010
that prefaced the start of the final between Luke Donald and Martin
Kaymer.

But this was no passing storm where
the snow cleared quickly. Here were thick flakes that fell for more than
two hours to create a fabulous scene if you're into winter wonderlands
but not much use if your colour of choice happens to be green.

Such a climactic extreme happened once
before in these parts at the 2001 Tucson Open, and before that in 1987
at Pebble Beach. So much snow fell that play was called off for the day
just after lunchtime, since there was no chance of it all melting during
daylight hours. The first round will now resume today when the forecast
looks a lot more promising, though not a great deal warmer.

Freezing: Play was stopped after less than four hours

Covered: The conditions were more suited to skiing

The temperature gauge had barely
climbed into the forties by the time Poulter began his opening round
match against the Scot Stephen Gallacher.

Let's skip to the tenth, and a hole
the like of which this observer had never seen before at the highest
level. Here was Poulter, two up but in trouble off the tee as his drive
went wildly left towards the jumping cholla and the bristling cacti. He
hit a provisional after Gallacher found the middle of the fairway with
his tee shot.

Poulter's ball could not be found in
the allotted five minutes. 'I can still get a half out of this,'
confided the ever-optimistic one but that looked far from likely given
all Gallacher had to do was plant a short iron on to the green within
two-putt range.

'Like Bristol in January': England's Chris Wood was tied with Bubba Watson on six

Exit: Spectators were forced to leave in disappointment

Except the man who was almost holing
second shots for fun during his astonishing win in the Dubai Desert
Classic a fortnight ago hit a shank into an unplayable spot and duffed
the chip that followed after taking a penalty drop. In the end he
conceded the hole and Poulter, instead of being back to just one in
front, was now three to the good.

Here was the only double bogey he will
make all year that left him smiling from ear to ear, but that's match
play for you. What would have been a calamity in stroke play left him in
control of his match and he was still three up with six to play when
the snow came.

Sergio Garcia was not a happy bunny
when he got the action underway in freezing temperatures, wailing like a
banshee about the cold. At least his attitude on the course was more
acceptable as he progressed to two up with three to play against the
Thai Thongchai Jaidee. Justin Rose was also playing an opponent from the
Far East and was two up at the halfway stage against the Korean KJ
Choi.

Chaos: Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Luke Donald had not even teed off

Blanket: Even the grandstands were covered

Englishman Chris Wood squared his match at the sixth against the Masters champion Bubba Watson but that was as far as it went.

As for McIlroy, like Tiger Woods he
never made it further than the practice range. 'This weather is
officially ridiculous!' he tweeted.

And Poulter was also on Twitter as the snow fell, joking: 'What's the problem? Let's play. The caddies have officially just had a snowball fight. Never seen anything like it.'